Cellular pathology: meaning and specific terminology. Cell injury and main processes involved. Cell death: apoptosis, necrosis, autophagy. Acute inflammation. Aspecific and specific chronic inflammation. Tissue repair: cellular growth, fibrosis, and wound healing. Neoplasia: morphologic and behavioural characteristics. Leukaemia and lymphomas. Cytopathology of the uterine cervix: cervical smears analysis and their cytologic interpretation.
All slides relative to the course will be available for the students; moreover, during the course specific atlas will be recommended (Stevens A. et al. “Wheater’s basic histopathology” ed. Elsevier.
Learning Objectives
Knolewdge acquired: introduction to cytopatology and histopatology. Cellular responses to pathological agents:reversible and irreversible cell injury. Acute inflammation: definition; vascular and cellular modifications. Chronic inflammation: definition; general characteristics. Granulomatosous chronic inflammation. Tumours: cytologic and histologic characteristics. Blood: composition, blood cells. Leukaemias. Cervico-vaginal cytopathology. Lymphomas: general characteristics of Hodgkin and Non Hodgkin lymphomas. All the arguments will be supported by practical exercitations (observation of histological and cytological slides at the microscope).
Competence acquired: microscopic identification of cellular samples from body tissues involved in pathological responses; identification of the basic responses to pathological agents; recognition of specific characteristics able to identify the onset of a disease. Microscopic study of cellular samples in order to detect hormonal abnormalities, infectious diseases, premalignant and malignant diseases, and many other diseases.
Skills acquired (at the end of the course): students will acquire theoretical and practical concepts regarding different arguments of human pathology and the mechanisms underlying the onset of a disease. Microscopic examination of different pathological samples will be accomplished.
Prerequisites
Cytology and histology, Biochemistry.
Teaching Methods
Total hours of the course: 8 for theoretical lessons (4 CFU out of 6), 12 for practical lessons (2 CFU out of 6).
Type of Assessment
Written examination: microscopic description of three pathological samples of different origin; oral examination.
Course program
Cellular pathology: cellular adaptations, cell injury and cell death. Acute inflammation and aspecific and specific chronic inflammation. Tissue repair: cellular growth, fibrosis, and wound healing. Benign and malign neoplasia: morphologic and behavioural characteristics. Leukaemias and lymphomas. Diseases of the main organs and systems: endocrine system; liver; kidney; gastrointestinal tract; lung; heart; blood and lymphatic systems. Cervico-vaginal cytopathology.